Rejuvenation
by S-angelwings-S
Summary: Sasuke laments about his past mistakes... Implied Sasusaku.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters. Only the plot is mine.

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Rain drops splattered on the ground, sliding off the headstones of the graves that lay before him. Rain always seemed to clean everything; even now the dust that had accumulated on the headstones was expertly washed away. It changed everything; the rain brought about a fresh start, a new outlook. Despite the rain's 'magical' qualities, he knew that the rain could never wash away the one thing he wanted should be cleansed the most. No matter how long he stayed amidst the tiny water droplets, seeping into him, it would never be enough to wash away his memories- the shameful remnants of his tainted past.

He remembered, so clearly- even after all the years, as he now stood before the eternal resting place of his family (his brother's grave now included) in the one place which he could still call home- that it had rained back then too. The day after his whole family was executed; the time when he was leaving Konoha after assaulting his 'best friend'; the day he had killed his own brother, his only remaining blood bond. It had rained then too, but even so (despite how much he had hoped, _wished, _that the cruelly painted pictures could wash away with the rain, leaving a cleaner page) it was never so. His bloodstained past had always remained with him, reminding him of the monster he needed to become; reminding him of the monster he had become and, finally, reminding him of the monster he could not let go of.

When he looked back at himself now, he felt empty. He had devoted a greater part of his life to destroying his brother and in doing so he severed his ties with his home. Even when his brother was gone, he had no peace. His tainted past allied with a sick twist of fate and told him that all his life, he had been pursuing the wrong person. Konoha, his _home, _was the real enemy. Trying to overcome his grave error, he turned his back to Konoha, believing the lies of a man whom he later killed.

All these twists and turns had him going insane; to devote your life to, what you believed was a noble cause, only to find that everything you worked so hard for was a hoax and then, in order to avenge that cause and bring justice to your actions, you yet again follow the wrong path. It was infuriating! More than that, it was disgraceful to know that despite everything he'd done, all the friends he'd hurt, he was standing here, in Konoha once again.

He had been forgiven—not without his share of punishment though—but it was obvious to him that things could never be the same…

After pursuing the path of vengeance for so long and fueling his hatred…he was just tired of it all. All he wanted now was redemption, but even in the six months that he'd returned, he had no idea where to start. Perhaps, it was so difficult because he had done so much wrong. Perhaps he had just fallen too far. Perhaps he was just too much of a lost cause.

The rain seemed to harden in agreement, graying the already morose atmosphere even further. A cold breeze blew at his rain drenched hair and clothes, causing a shiver to run down his body. He exhaled deeply, vainly wishing that everything _could _be erased, leaving a clean canvas for him to paint whatever he wished. So that he could actually start over in the way his brother had intended for him; happily.

In an instant, the rain stopped pelting him mercilessly, a black umbrella placed over his head. He didn't exactly know how to feel when he recognized the familiar chakra.

"Sasuke-kun, you shouldn't stay out in the rain like this," her voice rang out, laced with the concern that he was so accustomed to, "you'll get sick."

Half turning so that he could see her fully, Sasuke was completely unsurprised to see the worry in Sakura's eyes, the frown on her lips. He noticed that Sakura, true to her altruistic nature, held out the umbrella over him, leaving herself vulnerable to the rain.

"Sakura…" he breathed, almost amused, "you should heed your own advice,"

In one swift movement, he had the umbrella over the both of them. He could have laughed, had it not been for the melancholic atmosphere and feelings prior, at the sight of the slight pink that dusted her cheeks. And her smile, the one he remembered so well from the old days…

His eyes widened a fraction when an epiphany hit him; Sakura still expressed concern _for him_, she still smiled at him, _for him_. She was _still_ Sakura, the same in so many ways. She was Sakura and she was there for him, just like she had always been. She had forgiven him, shown him kindness…it made him think that perhaps he wasn't so far from redemption after all.

And perhaps it was in light of this revelation that he allowed her to walk him home, that he let their shoulders brush while they walked, that he let his fingers brush hers. And when she smiled, her beautiful smile, just for him, it was enough for him to fully lace his cold fingers in her warm ones. Her smile was enough for him to hope again, it was enough for him to say, after years, that he was truly happy_. She_ was enough to _make _him truly happy…

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A/N:-

And so here it is, after a long time, a one-shot. Phew,it took a while. So as usual, I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

REVIEW PLEASE! :)


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